Portable ice cube maker

ABSTRACT

This invention provides for a portable ice cube maker, in which ice cubes are made in ice pockets provided in an insulated container having a cover and in which the ice pockets are accessable upon removing the cover, yet providing for an enclosed container space into which the ice cube pockets depend and a cover extendable over the top of the container and removable therefrom to provide access to the ice cube pockets for the addition of water or the removing of the ice cubes. An ice cube pulling extractor is provided having parrallel portions dependable into the bottoms of the ice cube pockets and transverse pull portions available at the opposite ends of the containers for effecting the pulling of the extractor and the ice cubes from the container. Refrigerant is admitted to the space within the container from a refrigerant bottle having a depressable shank extending from the neck of the bottle and the neck of the bottle extending through an opening either through the bottom of the container or through a cover thereof. A push rod is used in one form of the invention to depress the bottle shank and in the other form of the invention a shank is depressed by engaging the same with a ball valve device lying within the container space. Appropriate valves are provided for excess pressure and to prevent the admission of air into the casing and to effect the draining of the bottom of the casing.

United States Patent StOller [54] PORTABLE ICE CUBE MAKER DanielStoller, 120 Dogwood Road, Roslyn, NY. 11576 [22] Filed: Sept. 23, 1970[21] Appl. No.: 74,732

[72] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner' Attorney-Polachek, Saulsbury & Haugh[15] 3,665,728 1451 May 30, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT This invention providesfor a portable ice cube maker, in which ice cubes are made in icepockets provided in an insulated container having a cover and inwhichthe ice pockets are accessable upon removing the cover, yetproviding for an enclosed container space into which the ice cubepockets depend and a cover extendable over the top of the container andremovable therefrom to provide access to the ice cube pockets for theaddition of water or the removing of the ice cubes. An ice cube pullingextractor is provided having parrallel portions dependable into thebottoms of the ice cube pockets and transverse pull portions availableat the opposite ends of the containers for efiecting the pulling of theextractor and the ice cubes from the container. Refrigerant is admittedto the space within the container from a refrigerant bottle having adepressable shank extending from the neck of the bottle and the neck ofthe bottle extending through an opening either through the bottom of thecontainer or through a cover thereof. A push rod is used in one form ofthe invention to depress the bottle shank and in the other form of theinvention a shank is depressed by engaging the same with a ball valvedevice lying within the container space. Appropriate valves are providedfor excess pressure and to prevent the admission of air into the casingand to effect the draining of the bottom of the casing.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Rammed May 30, 1972 3,665,728

2 Sheets-Sheet l .219. F; DANIEL STOLLER PORTABLE ICE CUBE MAKER Thisinvention relates to a portable ice cube maker.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ice cube makerwhich can be carried from one location to another and which can beoperated from a pressurized bottle containing a refrigerant by the meredepressing of the bottle valve shank and discharging the refrigerantinto an insulated container space bearing ice forming pockets.

It is another object of the invention to provide an ice cube maker inwhich access can be readily had to the ice forming pockets within thecontainer space and without opening the container space into which therefrigerant gas is expanded wherein the open ends of the ice pockets arereadily closeable by a hinged cover.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a portable icecube maker including a bottom tray on which the ice cube makingcontainer is hingeably mounted and wherein the pressurized refrigerantbottle is extendable from the bottom of the ice cube making containerinto the tray space and which there is provided a handle extending fromthe tray and extendable upwardly over the ice cube making container bywhich the container and the tray can be carried.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide an insulatedice cube making container having ice forming pockets depending from thetop thereof into this inner space of the container in which there isprovided adequate drain means for any liquid formed within the space andin which there is a pressure valve controlling the in-flow of anyatmosphere that may be extended into the container space and to minimizecondensation that may be formed on the inner walls of the container.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a portable ice cube makerhaving the above objects in mind, which is of simple construction, has aminimum number of parts, inexpensive to manufacture, durable, light inweight, of pleasing appearance, efficient and effective in use.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the portable ice cube makerembodying the features of the present invention, the cover of the makerbeing lifted to display the ice cube forms.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the ice cube maker as viewed online 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ice cube maker as viewedon line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary-longitudinal sectional view similar to FIG. 3with illustration being made as to the manner in which the refrigerantis dispensed into the space surrounding the ice cube forms.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of an ice cube maker embodying thefeatures of the present invention according to a modified form of theinvention, wherein the refrigerant is dispensed into the maker by themere insertion of a can top into the cover of the container, rather thanthe refrigerant being contained in a cooling space compartment of thecontainer as with the first form of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the portable ice cube maker asviewed on line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the form of the inventionshown in FIG. 5, as viewed on line 7-7 of FIG. 6, with illustrationbeing made as to the manner of depressing the external can ofrefrigerant against a spring inlet valve.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4, 10 represents a portable icecube maker embodying the features of the present invention, whichcomprises a bottom tray 11, to which is attached bail carrying handle 12that can be pivoted from a drop position as shown in FIG. 1 to avertical position upon pivot connections 13 located at opposite ends ofthe tray 11. Hingedly mounted upon the top edge of the tray at one sidethereof by means of hinges 14 is an insulated wall compartment container16 held in a closed position over the tray 11 to close off a space 17within the tray, various items may be stored for the purpose of beingtransported, or in which ice cubes can be placed as they are made tohave a large source of ice, cubes available when they are being used.The tray 11 may be made of insulating material, such as plastic, so thatsuch ice cubes will remain in their frozen state for a long time. Theinsulated ice cube making compartment 16 is held in its latched positionby latch fasteners 18 and 19 provided upon the front of the ice cubemaker, but which can be released to lift the cube making container 16upon the hinges 14 to provide access to the tray space 17.

The ice cube making container 16 has a bottom portion 21 that isrecessed about its periphery at 22 to conform to the upper edge of thetray bottom 11 so that the container 16 is held centered thereupon whenin its closed position upon the tray 11. At one end of the bottom 21there is secured a fitting 23 that is internally threaded and to which athreaded neck 24 of a pressurized bottle containing refrigerant, asindicated at 25, is secured so as to depend from the bottom 21 of thecontainer 16 into the tray space 17. The pressurized refrigerant bottle25 has extending upwardly through the fitting 23 and into containerspace 26 a depressable valve shank 27 to which an offset shaped push rod28 is fitted which has a hole 29 through which regrigerant will bedispensed into chamber 26 as the push rod 28 is depressed. The valveshank 27 is hollow and provides a dispensing outlet communicating withthe hole 29 of the push rod 28 so that the refrigerant will be deliveredfrom the pressurized bottle 25.

The space 26 of the cube making container is lined with a sheet metalliner 31 that extends over the bottom and along the side walls of thecontainer 16 internally thereof. This liner 31 also extends over the topof the space 26 and is depressed to provide four parrallellongitudinally extending ice making compartments 32, 33, 34 and 35, allof which spaced apart from one another as best seen in FIG. 2 and areopen at their upper ends to receive water into which ice cubes 36 can beformed. There is no access to the space 26 from the top of the container16, but only access to the top of the cube making compartments 32, 33,34 and 35.

This same liner 31 at the top of the ice cube making container has ahole 37 through which the push rod 28 extends and depending from thisliner is a sealing ring 38 which prevents the escape of the refrigerantwhen admitted to the space 26.

Before pouring water intothe ice compartment, an ice extractor formed ofsheet material and as indicated generally at 40 and consists of fourstrips adapted to be dropped into the depending ice making compartmentsor pockets and joined together at their respective ends by atransversely extending handle or pull portions 41 and 42 can be graspedto lift the frozen ice cubes out of the ice forming compartments. Thestrips of this ice extractor line the bottom ends of the pockets so thatwhen an upward pull action is effected the ice will be extracted andpulled therefrom. In order to provide access for the locating of thefingers under the pull portions 41 and 42, the liner 31 is depressed asindicated at 43 and 44 and underlying the respective pull portions 41and 42. These depressions will permit the fingers to be locatedunderneath the pull portions 41 and 42 to effect the lifting action uponthe ice and pull outwardly the elongated ice cubes.

Each of the ice pockets or compartments formed of the liner material 31have three opposing ribs spaced along the length of the ice formingpockets and as indicated at 45 and 46. These ribs 45 and 46 will reducethe width of the ice 36 being formed so as to provide weakened portionsin the ice pieces as they are extracted by the extractor 40 so that theice pieces can be broken into four smaller pieces to render them usefulto put into tumblers or small cups. These small pieces will havegenerally the thickness corresponding to the width of the compartmentsand will be generally of flake shape. These flake shaped pieces can bereadily stored in the tray space 17 as fast as they are made and beavailable for use.

The extractor sheet having parrallel portions lying within the bottomsof the ice forming compartments or pockets will be cut to accommodatethe opposing ribs 45 and 46 lying along the length of the pockets sothat the extractor strips will lie flat on the bottom of the pockets.

Overlying the open ice pockets supported within the container space 26is a cover 47 that is hinged by hinges 48 at the same side of the icemaking container 16 that the ice making container 16 is hinged by itshinges 14 to the tray bottom 11. This cover is depressed on its innerface as indicated at 49 to be accommodated over raised top formation 51of the container liner sheet 31 from which the ice compartments areformed and depended into the space 26. The depression 49 extendinggenerally on the inner side of the cover 47 is further depressed asindicated at 52 and 53 to accommodate the pull portions 41 and 42 of theice cube extractor 40 as the cover is closed over the raised top linerportion 51.

All portions of the ice cube making container 16, including the bottomand side walls, are formed of spaced metal walls, including the linersheet 31, as providing the inner wall and an outer wall sheet 54 thatconforms generally to the liner sheet 31 and extends upwardly to enclosethe vertically extending end and side walls of the container 16 and overthe upper edges of the side and end walls to close upon the inner liner3]. In between the liner 31 and the outer metal covering 54 is providedinsulating material 55. The cover 47 is similarly constructed and has anouter metal layer 56 spaced outwardly from the recessed metal layer 49and insulating material 57 lying therebetween. Thus with the cover 47closed upon the container 16 a confined insulated gas compartment orspace 26 is provided so that any refrigerant gas passing therethroughwill have good contact with the metal depressed ice pockets to effectthe quick freezing of water provided therein.

The cover top layer of metal 56 is depressed at 58 to accommodate theupper end of the push rod 28 which will lie flush with the top surfaceof the cover and also to provide space into which the finger, asillustrated in FIG. 4, can be thrust to depress the push rod 28 andcause the valve dispenser element 27 to be depressed so that therefrigerant gas will pass from the refrigerant bottle 25 into the space26 and effect a cooling action due to the expansion of the gas upon theside walls of the ice pockets which will extract heat from the water andcause the water to be frozen and the ice cubes thereby formed. At theopposite end of the space 26 is a one-way spring depressed ball valvedevice 59 through which the refrigerant gas will be exhausted upon thepressure within the compartment reaching a predetermined amount. Theball valve device 59 will prevent moist outside air from entering theice cube making container space 26 that would freeze and tend to blockthe passage of the refrigerant gas through the spaces 36 between the iceforming compartments or pockets and along the sides of the liner 31.Once the container space 26 has received sufficient refrigerant to causethe water to be frozen, the cover 47 can be lifted and by grasping thepull portions 41 and 42 the extractor 40 will lift the ice pieces fromthe ice compartments or pockets and these ice pieces can thereafter bebroken and put to use. Thereafter water is added to the ice pockets andthe cover 47 closed and by depressing the push rod 28 new ice cubes orflakes can be made. This performance can be continued until an adequatenumber of ice flakes are obtained.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a simple andportable means for the making of ice cube or flakes by merely supplyinga compartment having ice cube forming pockets with a refrigerant gasexpanded from its container and directed into the ice cube forming spaceto cause ice cubes to be formed. This ice cube maker can be carried byits handle 12 to any location where it is desired to have ice cubesmade.

Referring now to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, 60 represents generally a portableice cube maker constructed according to a modified form of theinvention, of which the bottom tray of the first form of the inventionenclosing the refrigerant bottle is dispensed with and wherein the icecube maker is charged by applying the refrigerant bottle 25 of the sameconstruction as above described with reference to this bottle to anopening 61 in top cover 62 hingedly connected by hinges 63 to an icecube making container 64. Both the cover 62 and the container 64,including its bottom wall 65, is heavily insulated.

To provide a support for the bottom wall 65 there is extended throughoutthe length of the same an underslung support member 66 having upturnedends 67 and 68 that overlie the end walls of container 64 and serve tosupport pivot pins 69 and 71 on which a bail handle 70 is pivotallyconnected so that it may be swung from a position shown in FIGS. 5 and 7upwardly and over the cover to provide a carrying member by which theportable ice cube maker 60 can be carried.

This container 64 provides an expansion chamber or space 72 into whichrefrigerant from the bottle 25 having its unthreaded neck 23 extendeddownwardly through the hole 61 centrally located in the cover 62 andwith its valve shank 27 being depressed against a spring operated ballvalve device 74 gas under pressure is expanded into the space 72. Uponthe pressurized refrigerant bottle 25 being lifted from the valve device74 and cover 62, the valve device 74 will be automatically closed andthe refrigerant left to cool ice pockets or compartments 76, 77, 78 and79 running parrallel to each other throughout the length of thecontainer 64 and depending from the top of a closed inner liner orcasing 81 of substantially the same shape and arrangement as describedin connection with the first form of the invention. The ice formingcompartments or pockets are spaced apart from each other and from theside walls of the container 64 so as to allow free expansion of therefrigerant along thin walls of the pockets. This top wall of the liner81 as indicated at 83 and 84 have depressions disposed respectively atthe ends of the pockets to provide finger openings for the fingers asthey are extended underneath end pull portions 85 and 86 of an iceextractor 87 having individual runners lying in the bottoms of each ofthe ice pockets 76, 77, 78 and 79. These ice pockets have opposing pairsof ribs 89 and 91 to provide weakened portions in strips of ice 92 thatare provided in the several compartments or pockets that depend from thetop of the inner liner 81.

The bottom of the container 64 has a valve seat 93 on which a valve 94is normally seated by a compression spring 95. The valve 94 has a shank96 and a press button on the lower end thereof as indicated at 97 thatis excessable through an opening in the bottom of the underslung support66 and can be depressed at any time to effect drainage of any water orcondensation that may have accumulated in the space 72 of the containerand to leave the space clear for further expansion of the refrigerantgas in the space 72.

In one side of the container 64 is a ball valve device 98 which willopen under predetermined pressure but will while permitting exhaustingof the gas prevent the inflow of the air from outside of the container.Both the container 64 and the cover formed with metal or plastic innerand outer casing members with insulating material therebetween in orderto maintain the container space 72 free of any outside heat and theexternal walls of the container and the cover free of condensationresulting from any chilling of the internal space 72.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a portable icemaking container that can be operated from a charged pressurized bottlebearing a refrigerant and without the need of an automatic'refrigeratingmachine requiring an electric source for energization.

I claim 1. A portable ice cube maker comprising: an ice cube makingcontainer having a top and bottom and having ice-forming compartmentscomprising ice-pockets depending from the top of the container into aninternal space thereof, said container having an opening in its wall forreceiving a neck of a pressurized bottle containing a valve shank; meansassociated with the opening for effecting the depression of the valveshank to admit refrigerant from the pressurized container into theinternal space of the ice making container; said container having acover adapted to be extended over these pockets and removable for theinsertion of water into the ice pockets and the removal of the ice cubestherefrom, said ice-forming pockets having opposing ribs to provideweakened portions in the ice extracted from the pockets, said ice cubecontainer having an inner liner with a top and bottom, said inner linerbeing closed at the top and said ice pockets being depressed from thetop of the inner liner and into the container space, said pocketsrunning longitudinally of the container and parallel to one another andspaced from each other and from the sides of the container to providespace into which the refrigerant gas may expand for full contact withthe walls of the ice pocket; an ice extractor extendable into the icepockets and running along the bottoms thereof, and said extractor beingcut to be accommodated to the vertically extending ribs within thepockets so as to lie flush upon the bottoms of the pockets.

2. A portable ice cube maker, as defined in claim 1, and the top of saidcontainer having depressions adjacent to the opposite ends of the icepockets, said extractor having handle pull portions overlying thedepressions whereby fingers can be extended into the depressions andunder the pull portions to grasp the extractor for effectively pullingthe same from the ice pockets.

3. A portable ice cube maker, as defined in claim 1, and said containerhaving a bottom wall, the valve seat extending through the bottom walland a depressable valve cooperating with the valve seat to open thespace within the container to drain the bottom of the container fromliquid.

4. A portable ice cube maker, as defined in claim 3, and underslungsupport member extending across the bottom of the container and upwardlyalong the sides thereof, a handle pivotally connected to the upper endsof the underslung support at the sides thereof and serving when extendedover the container to permit the carrying of the container by thehandle, said valve seat extending through said underslung su port withthe drain valve being excessable there through.

5. A portable ice cube maker, as defined in claim 1, and a ball valvecarried upon the container and said cover having an opening throughwhich the neck of the refrigerant bottle may be extended for engagementwith the ball valve to depress the valve shank of the bottle and injectrefrigerant gas into the container below said inner liner.

6. A portable ice cube maker, as defined in claim 1, said refrigerantbottle being secured to the bottom of the ice making container, a pushrod extending from the refrigerant container and carried on its valveshank and extending upwardly through the container and through the coverand accessible from the top thereof to be depressed, a bottom tray andsaid container being recessed to receive the bottom of the containerinto the tray, and handle carrying means connected to the tray beingextendable over the cover to permit the carrying of the ice cube maker.

1. A portable ice cube maker comprising: an ice cube making containerhaving a top and bottom and having ice-forming compartments comprisingice-pockets depending from the top of the container into an internalspace thereof, said container having an opening in its wall forreceiving a neck of a pressurized bottle containing a valve shank; meansassociated with the opening for effecting the depression of the valveshank to admit refrigerant from the pressurized container into theinternal space of the ice making container; said container having acover adapted to be extended over these pockets and removable for theinsertion of water into the ice pockets and the removal of the ice cubestherefrom, said ice-forming pockets having opposing ribs to provideweakened portions in the ice extracted from the pockets, said ice cubecontainer having an inner liner with a top and bottom, said inner linerbeing closed at the top and said ice pockets being depressed from thetop of the inner liner and into the container space, said pocketsrunning longitudinally of the container and parallel to one another andspaced from each other and from the sides of the container to providespace into which the refrigerant gas may expand for full contact withthe walls of the ice pocket; an ice extractor extendable into the icepockets and running along the bottoms thereof, and said extractor beingcut to be accommodated to the vertically extending ribs within thepockets so as to lie flush upon the bottoms of the pockets.
 2. Aportable ice cube maker, as defined in claim 1, and the top of saidcontainer having depressions adjacent to the opposite ends of the icepockets, said extractor having handle pull portions overlying thedepressions whereby fingers can be extended into the depressions andunder the pull portions to grasp the extractor for effectively pullingthe same from the ice pockets.
 3. A portable ice cube maker, as definedin claim 1, and said container having a bottom wall, the valve seatextending through the bottom wall and a depressable valve cooperatingwith the valve seat to open the space within the container to drain thebottom of the container from liquid.
 4. A portable ice cube maker, asdefined in claim 3, and underslung support member extending across thebottom of the container and upwardly along the sides thereof, a handlepivotally connected to the upper ends of the underslung support at thesides thereof and serving when extended over the container to permit thecarrying of the container by the handle, said valve seat extendingthrough said underslung support with the drain valve being excessablethere through.
 5. A portable ice cube maker, as defined in claim 1, anda ball valve carried upon the container and said cover having an openingthrough which the neck of the refrigerant bottle may be extended forengagement with the ball valve to depress the valve shank of the bottleand inject refrigerant gas into the container below said inner liner. 6.A portable ice cube maker, as defined in claim 1, said refrigerantbottle being secured to the bottom of the ice making container, a pushrod extending from the refrigerant container and carried on its valveshank and extending upwardly through the container and through the coverand accessible from the top thereof to be depressed, a bottom tray andsaid container being recessed to receive the bottom of the containerinto the tray, and handle carrying means connected to the tray beingextendable over the cover to permit the carrying of the ice cube maker.